My first Mosin, Westinghouse M1891

[Waher]

Mosin Nagant three line rifle model 1891 manufactured by New England Westinghouse 1915-1918. Non matching #s and missing the hand guard but otherwise beautiful. Big thanks to B&K sales for this one.

 

[m44]

Nice score, and welcome to the addiction

 

[Hardwired]

Very nice. Now grab some spam cans.

 

[dlarge]

No need for the gloves... They don't bite

 

[majspud]

Welcome to the Westinghouse club! Looks like a 6 digit SN, not sure as you whited it out, so that little piggy most likely went to market. Finned or mixmaster?

T

 

[Waher]

Six digit serial, no import or Finn markings, it doesn't have matching serials on any of the components. No arsenal cartouche other than an indecipherable round stamp on stock. Bluing is faded but the bore and chamber is near pristine. The stock, pretty good condition, is walnut (matches a hardwood sample box from the Hardwood Manufacturers Association) but hasn't taken on the dark coloring (milspec oil/cleaning fluid?) most US walnut stocked milsurp rifles have. No wear on the barrel despite the missing hand guard. I think it was one of the many Westinghouse Mosins sold by the government and very lightly used between hanging on someone's wall.

I'm wearing gloves from giving the rifle a protective coating of Frog Lube to stave off any further degradation. I need to get some bronze wool to clean off a few spots of surface corrosion. Don't want to wreck the patina, but at the same time don't want to leave anything which will fester into something worse.

 

[majspud]

Looks like your cleaning rod is too short. 91/30 vs M91?

I thinks that's five or six NES types who now have Westinghouses.

T

 

[Waher]

Funny you mention, just noticed that looking at 7.62x54r.net. Guess I should acquire a M91 cleaning rod along with the lock ring style bayonet.

 

[The5thDentist]

Awesome find! Congrats!!!

 

[majspud]

Counterbored?

T

 

[Waher]

No. It doesn't appear to have been fired all the much in its lifetime. Bolt action and trigger are really smooth. I don't appear have the strength to engage the safety.

I'm puzzled by the incorrect cleaning rod as it appears to have been with the rifle for some time. I wonder if some Mosin collector out there is puzzled why one of their M91/30s has such a long cleaning rod from a workshop table mixup. Probably will give the short rod away in a member karma once a proper one is acquired.

There's typical cosmetic surface corrosion (hopefully halted by the smattering of Froglube) which I need to clean off with bronze wool/brush next weekend, few minor scratches/dings, wear from the sling, and the missing hand guard, but otherwise the rifle doesn't look to have been mistreated.

I'll post some more photos once I've cleaned the surface corrosion.

 

[PATRON]

CONGRATS!

 

[martin08]

The stock is Russian Arctic Birch. The grasping groove on a NEW stock is centered on the crossbolt. This one has a non-centered grasping groove, and has the Russian inspection roundel on the right buttstock.

 

[martin08]

A little more history on your rifle:

This one is likely imported from Romania, Bulgaria, or another Balkan Region country. Shortly after WWI, Russia supplied the region with M91 rifles, dating from 1924 and earlier. The gun has been altered with the "Balkan Wedge", which is a small piece of reinforcing steel which is peened into place behind the rear sight spring.

 

[Waher]

Interesting, so it did make it out of the country and back somehow.

 

[smokeeaterpilot]

Very nice piece. These M91s are gorgeous and the aging on the wood if it's not sanded ages to a gorgeous color.

I wouldn't worry about the gloves. They were battle rifles made to be handled. Just keep them cleaned and oiled

Don't want to become an "NRA White Glover" Just kidding!

This is mine.

 

[Waher]

Spent about an hour and half cleaning with a bronze brush. The surface corrosion isn't completely gone yet, but she's looking mostly nice shiny and blue again.

Has Westinghouse and Izhevsk markings.

 

[majspud]

You have to love old patina; I prefer it to a full blue finish. These are old warhorses.

T

 

[martin08]

Yep. These guns were built, used, rebuilt, used again... and rebuilt again. Most of the WWI era M91's are a complete mix of parts. Bet you might find Tula, Sestroryetsk, Remington, and/or Chatellerault marks if you examine every small part closely.

 

[K98]

How do the American made Mosin's run in value compared to the Russian made versions?

 

[martin08]

An average condition Russian M91, with mixed parts and possibly Finn or Balkan import history, will run from $2-300. A New England Westinghouse with similar traits is $3-400, and a Remington is $4-600.

 

[smokeeaterpilot]

Cleaning rods aren't too expensive usually 75.00

about the bayonet a antique dealer told me that most people don't realize they were leftover civil war era bayonets sold surplus to NEW And Remington and modified for the m91. I don't know if it's true or not never looked into it.